Rediscovered Treasure

A completely unanticipated outcome of a year of lockdowns and uncertainties has been the opportunity to figuratively and literally take stock.

A thorough tidy up, without the customary pressures, revealed some hidden treasures.

Found at the back of a cupboard where I had almost forgotten they existed were 5 pieces remaining from the many I made several years ago.

They can used as paperweights, coasters or simply placed as contemplative objects.

12.5cms in diameter and 0.8cms thick they are cast in solid bronze with the pattern highlighted in coloured resin. Each comes in a monogrammed box.

My sculptural work is usually only sold by galleries but I am taking the unusual step of selling these 5 directly.

There are just the five below, each different, and once gone will not be repeated.

All are now sold.

Black Maze

Blue Maze

Multi Circles

Stories of the Sea

Every stone tells a story.

One of the joys of unhurried, contemplative visits to a beach is the opportunity to explore the many shapes and stories of the stones.

It has taken me years and many pleasurable hours on Cornish beaches to create a collection of stones for my latest works.

Arranging multiple forms together in one piece is not new but typically they have all used the same materials.

Trio is a collection of sculptures using different materials.

Trio II (left) includes two scorched burr oak elements in stunning contrast to the reflective polished bronze pebble. The texture of the oak is fantastic and tactile.

Achieving exactly the right combination of stones in the right arrangement takes considerable patience and experimentation. Sometimes the process sparks a quest for the perfect stone to complete the story (and the need for another beach excursion).

Trio III (right) is the only sculpture in the collection that does not incorporate polished bronze. Reclaimed bronze dust bound by resin is used to fill the fissures in the fumed oak base.

If you would like to see more photos of the Trio collection, please contact me.

New Direction

Experimenting continues.

Many of my pieces now feature more striking colours and contrasts using colour washes, paints and textures.

Direction II is a new edition of 5 one-off variations. Sand cast in solid bronze it sits on a slate base.

Each variation features completely unique colour variations. The colours are separated by a bronze edge. The red and orange finish on No 2 in the edition has a translucent golden spatter patination along the edge which is lacquered to protect the piece against touch and time.

Direction II is an upscaling of Direction. A commissioning client liked a piece from the Direction edition but it was a little small for the location they had in mind on a cruise ship. Direction II was made bigger and to specific dimensions that the client required and No 1 in the edition closely replicates the original piece in the Direction edition.

However, as with many commissions, I make two casts so that whatever accidents may happen I am sure of meeting dates. No 2 in the edition came about in this way but was not finished in reds and oranges until the commissioned blue version was complete and ready to go.

The Pleasure of Experimentation

Many of my larger sculptures are being displayed out of doors right now and others are in the finishing line.

It's a perfect time to do a little experimenting.

My Studio Series is where I get to test out different finishes and colours. All the pieces show the natural bronze I love so much combined with smooth finishes that are the perfect base for an array of colours and subtle variegation of texture, which is gaining increasing importance in my work.

Every piece has individual characteristics of texture and colour. Every piece is an exploration of experimentation and no two are ever the same.

I have also introduced a number of smaller sculptures with unique textures and colours, which are proving very popular.

Return (above) was sent out to the New Craftsman Gallery, St Ives, last week and has already made its way to a new home. The inside is completed with distressed gold leaf and the whole piece is a striking contrast to my work in "blues"

Experimentation with colour washes combined with patination as well as painted finishes is adding more complexity and depth to my body of work. Shayno (below) is a perfect example of this experimentation.

Skyfire

Skyfire features a mix of gold leaf and acrylic finishes. The resulting variety creates a multitude of images and patterns that change with each angle of viewing.

The 70cm diameter fibreglass disc rotates on its slate composite base allowing you to choose the perfect angle to suit your mood or environment.

I use the same techniques showcased on this sculpture on some of my smaller pieces (which can be viewed on my Facebook page) and Studio Series.

The Freedom & Strength of Sand

Casting bronze typically uses the lost wax method. This is ideal for reproducing fine work, particularly that with texture and overhangs. It can be a lengthy and time-consuming process requiring individual wax replicas to be made of the original sculpture.

I specialise in sand-casting which is worlds away.

Sand casting is much faster and allows for greater creative flexibility because of the solid nature of the casting process.

Instead of creating wax copies, a single pattern is made which can be used for multiple casting. This allows me to explore forms from multiple perspectives as seen in my Studio Series in particular. 

The pattern for each individual cast is placed in a sand box. Once this is packed down, the pattern is withdrawn leaving a void that is filled with molten bronze. 

What emerges is solid and often very rough. Because it is solid it can be cut, drilled, welded in many ways without requiring alterations to the original pattern. The roughness also allows for multiple "finishes" some exploring the natural texture of the sand casting whilst others are highly polished.

A simple example of this is Drift and Line in the Sky which were created from a single pattern. For the sake of simplicity and robustness, the points in the pattern met. Drift (above) uses the whole casting whereas Line in the Sky has been cut (below left). The difference is subtle yet distinct and results in sculptures with an individual character.

The unique design of Ancient Bowl (below right) is a perfect example to show why I love the creativity and freedom of sand casting. The freehand apertures, so suggestive of fragility, are only possible because of the solidity of the process.

The Balance of Contrast

Bronze is both strong yet delicate - a duality that the casting process works with to allow the bronze to take shape. 

This duality is an aspect that I explore not only through form but also through colour. 

In recent pieces, I have brought together the warmth, energy and vibrancy of oranges with the clarity, calmness and depth of blues.

The colours are natural opposites that create balance from their polarities. Each colour becomes more intense in the presence of the other. 

The polarity of form, colour and energy is a continuing exploration within my work. 

Outdoor Blues

Interiors of homes, offices, hotels and yachts are the usual destination for my sculptures but many of the larger pieces are equally suited to outdoor life.

Some outdoor sculptures are mounted on weathering steel columns adding colour and texture to the piece.

Alternatively, these sculptures can be purchased separately to install on a collector's own plinth or an indoor base.

The blue of the sculptures complements and brings new dimensions to outdoor space. Summer is a time when my works appear in outdoor sculpture exhibitions. Please contact me for details of current and planned exhibitions featuring outdoor sculptures. You can find the full list of my 2017 exhibitions right here.

Not Everything is Blue

Once upon a time, everything was blue or green.

Patination of bronze is a unique art form. Achieving specific colours takes time and perfection. Blue and green are the colours most easily achieved in patinating bronze - blue also happens to be a favourite colour of mine.

The mottled sand colours that I have created are, I believe, unique and vary from very pale to quite dark, just like sand is different on every beach. I often use them in conjunction with blue for a striking effect.

Other colours can be achieved by colour washing or painting to create new dimensions to my work, the lightness of colour being in stark contrast to their surprisingly heavy sand cast form.

My studio series are available from selected galleries across the UK or contact me directly to find out about available work or to know where work can be seen and touched.

A Busy Spring

April and May are always busy months and there are lots of opportunities to see my pieces across the UK and Europe.

The Decorative Fair in Battersea Park draws to a close this weekend.  I am represented by Alston & Ashton, who have a number of my sculptures in their exhibit.

In May The Mayne Gallery will be showing my work at the new Fresh Art Fair at Cheltenham Racecourse from the 12 - 14th.  

Over the same weekend, Degree Art exhibit my work at The Affordable Art Fair in Hampstead.

Throughout the entire month of May there is an opportunity to see examples of both my outdoor and indoor work at Delamore Arts in Devon.

In Europe Folly & Muse are at Art & Antiques Salzburg from 8th to 17th April and have my sculptures on their stand.  

Later in the April (28th to 30th), Galeria Gaudi from Madrid will show my work at Kölner Liste in Cologne.  I have free tickets available for the 27th and 28th April - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.me for details.
 

Folly and Muse return to Germany in Munich to show my work at Art Muc from 25th to 28th May.

It's a busy spring!

Details of all exhibitions throughout the year are listed here

Celebrating Togetherness

With less than a month before Valentine's Day, it is apt to showcase some pieces that explore deep connection.

Each of these pieces is currently available for sale. Please contact me for more details.

Left:  Together Now. Below:  The Two of Us

Beyond Open Space

Architerior Magazine interviewed me recently to find out about my journey to becoming a sculptor, the sources of my inspiration and how I create my sculptures. 

The full article can be read here

Exploring Colour & Texture over Time

My Studio series are an ongoing exploration of colour and texture. Working with the same shape over many years, each piece is a unique variation that reflects changing techniques, seasons and moods.

At this time of year, many pieces are bought as Christmas gifts. Indeed year round they are bought to mark special occasions and landmark events or simply because they bring so much pleasure to the owner.

Working with the same pattern the shape remains the same but each individual piece is uniquely finished. The series is not limited to a set number of pieces as no two are ever the same.

Every sculpture has unique characteristics and is signed and numbered to reflect the diversity and evidence of making by hand.

I only make one or two at a time using whatever techniques and finishes are current. As a result, each sculpture has up to date one-off qualities that are never repeated as each piece takes on many changes.

I stop making a piece when I can add nothing more, for some reason it ceases to intrigue me or the pattern breaks. I specialise in using castings made in sand moulds. Although it has many advantages it does require a pattern that may be used time and again and is vulnerable to ordeals in the sand-casting foundry.

The Studio Series has been completely updated on my website featuring all currently available pieces.  

What's in a Name

Titles sometimes give a clue to the inspiration behind a sculpture, at others times the title is obscure with little or nothing to do with a piece that has it's roots in an abstract idea. But at all times the ambiguity allows the spectator to form their own interpretation and add a new dimension to the work

There are currently five variations in the Acanto series, all of which are on my Facebook page. Asymmetry and free rotation on the base allows many different views to be chosen.

The uniting strand of each sculpture is the breaking of the patinated surface to expose the inherent beauty of natural bronze.

Always a little unpredictable patination is a mixture of control and chance but the transformation of the bronze surface is always magical.

All my sculptures start in sand moulds which imposes a degree of simplicity that is disciplinary and enriching.
​
Although I have concentrated on the purely material qualities of bronze capable of being wrought into a physical object it does have reproductive qualities. Sand can reproduce very fine textures that are beginning to find a place in my work. 

Transience, Sparrow Hawks & Permanence

Each morning I walk my dogs up our very quiet lane. There is little traffic and few machines. Just sounds of the countryside, birds most of all and the occasional sheep.

Turning back towards home I face the Black Mountains. They rise about a mile in the distance and as the half-light yields to the day the skyline reveals the Darrens, a fascinating mixture of rocks, indents and a commanding outcrop. To the north lies the inimitable silhouette of Black Hill, made so famous by Bruce Chatwin.

The light never repeats itself so the view is never the same. In the early morning the excitement of light and shade in all its subtleties is mixed with the drama of substance. The light plays with the surface exposing things I've never noticed, shapes I've never seen.

Nearer home the fields rise up from the Monnow valley and the hedge lines and pasture shapes curve and curl, constantly inspiring me. But it's under my feet where the least obvious and yet most provoking and challenging shapes and textures catch my attention.

Water runs silently over the tarmac after rain, causing rippling over mud, stick or leaf. Shapes growing and changing as I watch.

Occasionally the farmers drop hay or straw and the strands organise themselves into unique and wonderful patterns. And tractors sometimes leak, creating swirling patterns of petrol lustre as the fuel or oil drops.

But amazing shapes can emerge from the marks left by birds, etched distinctly on the black tarmac. And flying low above the road the Sparrow Hawk sketches the most extraordinary kinetic outlines.

Each morning is a privilege. And later I get to work, moving those shapes, tones and textures into the permanence of bronze.

Nature Mimics Art

Fastnet

Creating precise patination on bronze takes considerable skill and expertise but it is far from an exact process - temperature, humidity and the raw materials can all influence the final result.  It is endlessly fascinating to watch the colour take shape and add to the piece.

Fastnet is a recent sculpture that proves just how surprising patination can be.  The mix of colours and patterns add depth and contrast to the shapes but their creation was something of a happy accident.  

A little while ago I discovered a cave in Cornwall that was covered in extraordinary colours where the minerals had interacted with the sea air and water.  Nature is an enormous inspiration for my art but on this occasion it was only when photographing Fastnet that the connection became apparent - nature had mimicked art.  

Inside Out

Another Season

My sculpture has gone outdoors.  Another Season is one of my new range of bronze sculptures specifically designed for to be enjoyed in open spaces.    

This particular piece freely rotates on its weathering steel base allowing you to capture different angles and views as the seasons and weather change.

A number of new outdoor sculptures can now be seen on my website.

A Question of Direction

Home or Away

The same view from different angles often changes the emotions felt. Our direction of travel and our frame of mind evoke different sensations and perspectives - what we see and how we interpret it adjust accordingly.  

The two pieces of patinated bronze are separated by a small gap and sit on a polished oak base.

Painting & Patination

Onset

Painting of bronze is a tradition going back thousands of years but I have been using this technique only very recently to contrast with patination.  

Onset is a recent piece that rotates on a scorched oak base.  The two sides are completely different.  

The reverse features a fine bronze relief pattern which is polished and lacquered.  The reverse can be seen on my Facebook page.  The front features a contrasting raised pattern in bronze, which is painted rather than patinated, against an oxidised background enhanced with acrylic colour washes.  

This sculpture is included in "Environment Absorbed" at the Oil & Water Contemporary Art Gallery in London from 21st May until 14th June.  

The Spark of Consciousness

The seed of an idea can linger unconsciously in the mind, sometimes for years.  

Chance findings can create the spark that brings that idea into full consciousness.  

In the case of Strada III, looking down at the right moment, I came upon an extraordinary stone in Cornwall  which brought a long lingering concept into reality.

Feast & Famine

Feast & Famine is a new sculpture that I have just finished and is from an edition of seven variations, each featuring differing patination or bases.  

The piece freely rotates on the Tiger Oak base.  It features different designs on each side.  The other side of the sculpture can be seen on my Facebook page.

The viewer can decide which side is feast and which side is famine. 

News

My trips to Cornwall are times of great inspiration.  Walking along the beaches, I am endlessly inspired by the natural forms of sea eroded pebbles and stones. 

Naturally abraded stones form the basis of the Beach Song series already comprising 15 individual pieces.

Balancing stones on top of one another is a preoccupation and a challenge that never tires.  Pieces of highly polished bronze are balanced on - or even topping off - these wonderful forms.  The contrast between the natural and highly worked is intriguing and shows the simple beauty of both. 

Achieving the right relationship between the stone and the bronze is exceptionally difficult but equally rewarding when it is right.